President Asif Ali Zardari recently said that the government is fully conscious of the concerns of the minority communities about misuse of certain laws against them.
The president, according to reports in newspapers the other day, said this while receiving the report of the four-member parliamentary committee, which was constituted by him last month to look into the grievances of the Hindu community by visiting different districts in Sindh province. The report was presented by the committee’s head, Senator Maula Bux Chandio, to the president in Karachi. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and other members of the committee were also present on the occasion.
President Zardari, as mentioned in the reports, then went on to express the hope that the religious leaders, parliamentarians and members of civil society would deliberate on this issue and recommend measures to prevent misuse of laws against the minorities in the country.
Paying just lip service is not enough in this case. The lot of minorities in the country is worsening by the minute as many recent events show (Shia killings, Hindu migrations, the horrific Rimsha case). Religious leaders, parliamentarians and civil society members, in particular the human rights organizations working in different parts of the country, must do their bit to stem this tide of intolerance and violence in our society. They should address the concern of the minorities, individually and collectively, on priority basis and come up with feasible recommendations at the earliest possible.
The minorities have as much rights as others living in Pakistan under the constitution and all are duty-bound to follow and respect the constitutional provisions in letter and spirit. This is all the more essential for ensuring religious harmony and solidarity within the country as it is facing numerous challenges from within and without which are threatening its security and very existence.
ENAMUL HAQ QAZI
Lahore